Tajikistan

Tajikistan is a mountainous country, prone to earthquakes. In the Pamir Mountains, snow makes the few roads impassable for more than six months a year. Yet in the fertile river valleys, where most people live, the summers are long and hot. The Tajiks is descended from the Persians, who first settled here thousands of years ago. The country has been invaded many times since, and Islam was introduced by Arab conquerors in the A.D. 600s. Today, most Tajiks are Sunni Muslims. Minority groups include Uzbeks and Russians.

About two – thirds of the population lives in the rural areas, mostly...